Draft gear



Sept. 8,- 1925.

w. H. COTTON DRAFT GEAR Filed May 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES Vi `ATif:-1\1T OFFICE.

.WALTER H. COTTON, or CHICAGO,y ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To UNION DRAFT GEAR oo.,

AvooRPoR-ATION on ILLINOIS.

' DRAFToEAn.

Application Aiea May 9,

To all whom, t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WALTER H. COTTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Draft Gears, of which the vfollowingis a specilication, and which are illustrated intheaccompanying drawings, forming apart thereof.

. The; improvement relates to draft gears of the friction type, especially designed for use on freight cars. v Its objects are to secure simplicity and compactness of construction, smoothness of action vand highl efficiency; and aV further object is to provide for the delivery of the major portionv of the forces to, elements under compression, and to relieve such elements as are placed under tension by means of springs, together with a long range of movement ofthe parts.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described, and in the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a, plan section of the gear on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, as applied to a railway car;

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sect-ions on :ghe lines 2-2 and 3 3; respectively, of

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the gear, partly in section, as applied to a railway car, the gear being under compression; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

For the purpose of showing the relation of the gear to a railway car, there is represented a pair of center or draft sills 10; pairs of draft lugs 11, 11, and bulling lugs 12, 12, applied thereto; a coupler butt 13; and a coupler extension or yoke 14 for inclosing the gear.

The gear comprises a pair of plate followers 15, 16, which cooperate, respectively, with the draft and butling lugs and are inclosed within the yoke 14, in accordance 'with common practice.

A pair of triangular wedge-blocks 17, 17, are seated against the inner face of the follower 15, and a similar pair 18, 18, are seated against the inner face of the follower 16. Preferably, though not necessarily, these wedge-blocks are equilateral, as shown. Each pair of the named wedge-blocks is in- 1924. serial No. 711,967.

eluded `within a. casing 19,20. These casings being identical in form but one need be described.

The casing, as 19, is open at both ends.

The inner faces of the portions of its side outwardly, as shown at 22, toward the opposite end of the casing, providing wedging surfacesfor engagement by correspondingly inclined portions of a pair of wedge plates 23, 24, which constitute seats for a spring or pair of nested springs 25, disposed transversely to the axis of the gear.

A central wedging` element and spring guide 26, arranged on the longitudinal axis of the gear, has its ends beveled to constitute double faced wedges27, 27, which are interposed, respectively, between and cooperate with the wedge-blocks 17, 17, and 18, 18. The member 26 is transversely apertured to receive the spring 25 and hold it against lateral displacement, permitting its free compressive movement. fr

Themembers 19, 20, constitute wedging elements which cooperate not only with the triangular blocks ibut also with the elements 23, 24. They also constitute casings for inclosing these elements, andV they are placed .under tension by the action thereof. Preferably guide ribs, as 28, are formed on lthe inner faces of the top and bottom walls of the members 19, 20, and engage corresponding channels in the member 26,serv ing to prevent any tendency of the latter to get out of normal position.

At the side margins of the wedge faces 22 of each of the casings 19, 20, there are instanding flanges 29 between which. the wedge-shaped portions of the plates 23, 24, slide and are guided.

In action the follower to which pressure is applied through the kcoupler is moved away from the sill lugs with which it cooperates, carrying with it the triangular wedge-blocks, against the resistance of the spring 25 andthe resistance tomovement of the member 26 by the triangular wedgeblocks at the opposite end of the gear. The member 26 forces the triangular blocks of both pair apart as the compression of the gear continues, and the outward movement of the-se blocks forces the elements 19, 20, away from the followers With Which they are associated, and by reasorrothefir Wedging engagement With the elements 23, 24, cause the compression of the spring 25. The triangular wedge-blocks are placed under compression and, With the member 26, carry the major portion of the load.

While the elements 19, 20, are subject to tensional or bursting stresses, they are relieved from much of the duty of resisting the shocks of service by the yielding of the spring 25, and the burden put upon them is not localized because of the comparatively long range of their movement relative to the members 23, 24.

The release of the gear is effected by the spring 25, the members 19, 20, being moved backvvardly to normal position by the Wedging action of the elements 23, 24, the remaining parts of the gear being also restored to normal position by this action.

The gear possesses the advantage of simplicity both as to the form of its parts and the ease With Which they may be manufactured, no machinery being necessary. It is compact and easy of assembling. Its efliciency is high due to the large number of frictional surfaces in cooperation. Furthermore, it so distributes the stresses incident to itscompression that the major partthereof is resisted by parts Which are under compression, and for this reason the parts which are placed under tension may be made comparatively light Withoutdange-r of fracture.

The form of construction'shown and described is, as now advised, the most-desirable, but does not constitute the* essenceof the invention, the scope of which is sufficient to include other' forms.

I claim as my invention;-

l. In a draft gear, in combination, a pair of followers, apair oft-riangular Wedgeblocks seated against each follower, a member having Wedge-shaped ends each engaging; adjacent faces of one pair of blocks, a spring extending transversely through such member, a spring seat applied to each end of the spring and having Wedging faces, and a casing inclosing. each`- pair of blocks and having Wedging" facescooperating. With the outer faces of the blocks, and Wedging faces cooperating With Wedging faces of the spring seats.

2. In a draft gear', in combination, a l0ngitudinal member having wedge-shaped ends and provided with a transverse aperture for housing and guiding a spring, a spring Within the aperture., spring seats applied to the ends of the spring' and having Wedge faces, and Wedging elements cooperating with the Wedges of the1iirst-name'd member and with the spring seats. y

25. ln a draft gear, incombination, a longitudinal member having Wedge-'shaped ends and provided With a transverse-aperture for housing and guiding a spring, a spring within the aperture, spring seats applied to the ends of the springand having Wedge faces, a pair of triangular Wedge-blocks cooperating Withea'ch endI ofi the first-named member, and` a pair of casingsl inclosing the named elements and` having-f internal Wedging faces cooperating With thewvedge faces of the .spring Seatsand the triangular blocks and guide ribs engaging the firstlnamed' member.

WALTER CGT-TON; 

